"Remarkable Novel" About Drug Addiction by Down Under Author

Sleep before Evening
By Magdalena Ball
BeWrite Books
2007, ISBN 978-1-904492-96-
$17.99
286 pages

Reviewed by Bob Williams


Sleep Before Evening is a first novel by Magdalena Ball, author of The Art of Assessment and a collection of poetry, Quark Soup. She is also creator and editor of the Web’s premier literary site, The Compulsive Reader.

Mari and her mother Lily form the nucleus of the novel. Mari is a brilliant, but limited, high school student. She has a scholarship to NYU and is an accomplished pianist. Her father faded away from his family early in her life and she has found a substitute in her grandfather, Eric.

Her mother, Lily, has remarried. She is an artist, subject to mood swings that are exhausting to Russ, her husband, and to Mari. Lily in fact drives Russ away by the jealousy that torments her.

Eric has a stroke that is severe enough to leave him unconscious and without brain activity. His doctor recommends the removal of life support. Mari is opposed to this and insists at least that she be made part of the decision respecting her grandfather. Lily and Russ agree to this, but decide without her and Eric is gone before Mari knows what has happened.

In an already difficult home Mari now experiences the extremes of alienation from her mother. Accustomed to visit the city at her pleasure, Mari begins to visit it more frequently. She meets Miles, a young street musician and, cast off and vulnerable, begins a relationship with him. A large part of the book becomes concerned with sex and drugs and – well, not rock and roll exactly – blues.

Ball is very good at showing the shabby musicians that alternate between hopes and disappointments. Miles, the harmonica player, and Cath, the singer, and the other band members lead lives of noisy desperation with a heavy dependence on drugs. In this environment Mari becomes addicted. The needs of her addiction take her from one life-blighting experience to another and she deliberately overdoses as she sits in the rain, abandoned by everyone, under some bushes in a park.

She is found. Doctors save her life and she enters a rehab unit. Reunited with her mother, who draws upon an unsuspected source of maturity, Mari lives through the rigors of rehab. Home once more, she finds that there are still many unresolved problems between her and Lily.

This is a remarkable novel, not one detail of which rings false. The setting is New York City and one of its suburbs and the time is the Reagan years. Ball has achieved the remarkable in recovering this particular time past and the drive of the narrative makes this a compelling and an exciting book.
------

About the reviewer: Bob Williams has been collecting books all his life, and has done freelance writing, mostly on classical music. His principal interests are James Joyce, Jane Austen and Homer. His writings, two books and a number of short articles on Joyce, can be accessed at: http://www.grand-teton.com/service/Persons_Places

A Top Book for Any Speaker's Library

The Solution is at Hand: The Dottie Walters Story
by Dottie Walters and Terri Marie
Copyright 2007
Pages 156 plus intro
ISBN 0-943477-14-X
Price $14.95
Published by New World Publishing

Reviewed by Dr. Patricia Adelekan, Ph.D., DTM, Founder of Global Education, Inc.
The impact of this unique inspirational book
transcends any that I have read for a long time.

Dottie Walters wrote her last book in conjunction with Terri
Marie. It is called “The Solution is at Hand: The
Dottie Walters Story.” The impact of this unique book
inspirational book transcends any that I have read for
a long time. In it are 14 of Dottie’s Life Lessons.
And, to think that Dottie did not see the final and
finished copy of the book or hear the CD that
accompanies it before she passed away, is eerie.

I read the complete book on the plane to France in
March and was so moved by it that I had all the French
Toastmasters of the IBM Toastmasters Club in Paris
begging for it. It was my only copy, so I could not
part with it. When I got to Nigeria, the same thing
happened. They too, were inspired and touched. What a
woman Dottie was! We need to keep her spirit and
message alive as nuggets of her greatness.

Dottie’s voice on the accompanying CD reveals her
kind, caring, and giving spirit. While listening to
it, one cannot but help feeling blessed by such an
indomitable spirit, as though Dottie were right there
discussing such deep lessons.

I invite everyone to invest in buying a copy of this
treasure of a book and to give it as a gift to someone
special in your life. You will never regret it.”

The Solution is at Hand’ is one
of the top three books every speaker should have.
----

The reviewer is Dr. Pat Adelekan, Global Education, INC
“In Search of Global Greatness”

Promoting: Giving In to the Human Animal

The Frugal Book Promoter
Copyright: By Carolyn Howard-Johnson 2004
Pages: 243(Includes Index)
ISBN: 1-932993-10-X
Price. $17.95
Published by Star Publish 2004

Reviewed by Judith Woolcock Colombo

Humans are social animals. We like to associate with others to share our thoughts, blessings, and woes. But above all this, we love to express our opinions and demonstrate our knowledge about matters both mundane and extraordinary. Over the eons our penchant for giving advice has led to a phenomenon called the how to book. There are how to books on subjects ranging from the simplest household tasks to how to be a good parent or an amazing lover.

Authors are no exception to the rule, and are very eager to give advice to each other from how to write and publish your first novel to publicizing that novel and promoting yourself. Being an author, I know how important publicizing ones work is and how necessary it is to promote oneself. Because other writers know how eager their colleagues are to place themselves in the public eye, there are many books in the market place that offer publicity and promotion tips. More often than not, these suggestions require great expenditure and that is something most underpaid writers can’t afford.

However, The Frugal Book Promoter by Carolyn Howard –Johnson offers solutions that cost more in time than money, and time is something any committed writer must be prepared to spend. The author admits at the start of the book that some of her advice is based on her opinion, but this is an opinion garnered from years of being in public relations and from successfully promoting and publicizing her first two books.

The book starts off with some simple and helpful hints. The author speaks about branding yourself instead of publicizing yourself. Later she goes on to explain this more fully. Every time an author writes an article, short story, or book review and publishes it in a magazine, newspaper, ezine or website, he or she should end with their tagline. A tagline can be the author’s name and works, for example, Gloria Fox author of One Missing Shoe along with email and website address.

In the first chapters, Howard-Johnson addresses normal author concerns such as plagiarism: how often it is really done and how to guard against it by copyrighting. She also discusses P.R or how to publicize your book through media releases, publishing excerpts from your book, and author interviews among other things.

The Frugal Book Promoter is so filled with information that it would take several pages to describe. Howard-Johnson spends time elaborating on the things to do before the book comes out, building a Media Kit, entering contests, making contacts by attending conferences and how to decide which ones to attend and what to do while there. She discusses the importance of having your own website and how to have one built for a reasonable fee. She gives you a list of websites to go to that will teach you how to build one or help you get ones for free. She also explains the necessity of making a personal mailing list of family, friends, co-workers, your church group and so on.

The author takes you through the process of what to do when you get a publisher’s contract, the questions to ask and the pitfalls to avoid. She also gives advice on what to do after the book is published, how to get reviews, the importance of book signings and book fares, how to use the media including internet radio and public announcements in local papers. Her section on Amazon.Com is excellent. She explains how to establish a free account and how to use tools such as Listamania, book reviews, and the All About Me section.

One of the aspects of this book that I thought most valuable was the list of websites included in every chapter. They ranged from websites that help you with the mechanics of writing to review sites, and sites that help you sell and promote the book. There is also an appendix filled with wonderful things, like sample query letters.

As a writer, I found this book a very useful tool. Even if you don’t agree with some of the author’s opinions, the share amount of research that went into this book will awe you. One of the results of this extensive research though, is that the book can seem overwhelming. The solution to this is to treat it as a toolbox. When you need a tool, open the box and take it out, or study the specific chapter or chapters in this case. Beginning authors will find this an enlightening how to book and even old veterans might learn some things they never knew. I did.

Judith Woolcock Colombo: Author of The Fablesinger, Night Crimes, The Gasman & The Death of Betty Pinto
Visit my web site at http://odin.prohosting.com/~night01 Or email
judithcolombo@hotmail.com for info & sample chapters/

Hugs, Hope and Peanut Butter Sticks to Your Heart, Not the Roof of Your Mouth

Hugs, Hope, and Peanut Butter: Finding the Light Behind the Clouds
By Marsha Mott Jordan
Web Site: www.hugsandhope.org/pb.htm
Genre: Nonfiction, Humor
ISBN: 9771343-4-2
Published by Jada Press, 2006
Trade paper, 244 pages
Available on Amazon.com

Reviewed by Joyce Handzo of Christian Book Previews

Hugs, Hope and Peanut Butter will stick to your heart!

If you’ve ever been discouraged, this is a book for you. Drawing upon her own experiences of chronic pain and depression, the author opens her heart and life to bring a message of comfort and hope to the hurting. Proceeds from the sale of this book go to The Hugs and Hope Foundation for Critically Ill Children.

I would love to give this author a hug! Besides being a very funny woman, she seems to be the kind of person who loves life simply because it comes from God. Her words bounce off these pages with a contagious sense of hope and encouragement, offering readers a lighthearted look at the world around them.

Marsha Mott Jordan is someone you would want living next door. Her feet are planted firmly on the ground, while her heart reaches for the pleasant places of God. She is no stranger to sickness, and therefore it’s no wonder that she started an organization to help terminally ill children. These special young people illustrated the book, causing Marsha’s words to touch readers in a more meaningful way.

Made up of a random collection of essays, this book covers a variety of subjects. The author’s candid style of writing instantly endears her to readers, inviting them to laugh along with her as she rides the roller coaster of life. Spiritual insights pop into the narrative in a real way, allowing glimpses of the great God who watches over all His children. Marsha’s home life is a source of hilarity, while her heart is filled to overflowing with compassion for those around her.

Being uniquely qualified to speak to those who are discouraged, the author shares her past experiences and her hopes for the future. The pages are bittersweet, as the drawings by the children serve as a reminder of those whose health issues are shaded in uncertainty. Marsha’s words resonate with the reality of God and His great love, which can be found in every situation. Readers won’t know if the tears on their cheeks come from laughing or crying.

Garden of Hope for Tolerance, Love Marriage and More

Garden of Hope: Autobiography of a Marriage
By Maryanne and Lennox Raphael
Hopewell Publications, 2006
Trade paper, 221 pages.

Reviewed by David Henderson for Tribes.org

Lennox and Maryanne Raphael were extremely connected from the beginning of their courtship and subsequent marriage that took place in exotic regions of Mexico and Central and South America in the early 1960s. An interracial couple, the story of their 11 year marriage, is told in Garden of Hope: Autobiography of a Marriage from both of their points of view.

This unusual and intriguingly successful dual autobiography written long after their marriage ended in divorce in the early 1970s reveals that they are still uniquely connected. Each writes passages under their own names, usually in tandem. The book ends soon after the birth of their son, Raphael, a day after Christmas in 1968. This work is dedicated to their son and his new family in more ways than just the words in the frontispiece. Over the dedication “For Raphael, Ginger and Zeal” is a photo of them. As divorce is often most difficult for the child, this book could also be looked at as a loving explanation that they all participated in. The son, Raphael, now, in his late 30s, wrote the foreword. He speaks gratefully of being able to share in their beatific romantic moments when they came together as a couple. He is also able to understand some of the problems that led to their divorce. He is glad they live in the present having never allowed their problems, that seemed so huge at the time, to destroy their future Being too young to have remembered them together, he is grateful “to find a forgotten snapshot of [his] parents in love.” He notes with happiness that today they are still “optimistic, exceptional and bubbling with creative enthusiasm.”

Garden of Hope concentrates on the high points of their marriage. Perhaps a new genre is born here, The Raphael’s union began in the earliest and perhaps most difficult days of the 1960s, well before the assassinations of President John F, Kennedy, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Jr., Robert Kennedy. And at the threshold of Flower Power, Black Power and The Summer of Love.

The young couple, in their early 20s, met in Kingston, Jamaica, in April of 1961 and came together almost at once. Lennox was a Trinidadian journalist who was building a career having left a local newspaper in his hometown to take a job with a magazine in Kingston. Maryanne, a more than promising scholarship student at Ohio University, had joined a Black sorority as the sole white person and for that was featured in Ebony Magazine and on the cover of Jet magazine, the two major African American magazines of the time. She had graduated with the highest of honors and won a scholarship to the Sorbonne (in part for a manuscript written in French). She completed the program and traveled through Europe. In 1961 she was in the West Indies living on her own.

After a rather whirlwind courtship that was based on an intense meeting of their minds and spirits and complete truthfulness, they married in Tampico, Mexico and for the next several months were never apart. They lived on very little money. On a whim they traveled to Brazil where they had many adventures and became well known as poets and painters, even to the point of appearing on TV. But they had insights about Brazil as well where there would be a particular South American surprise twist to their own interracial marriage:

In fact, we found the Brazilian boast of racial equality very shallow. . . . both black and white Brazilians praised their country as a racial utopia and loved to point the accusing finger at the United States where, in fact, its citizens (fellow Americans) were making active progress towards racial understanding. . . . Much unlike Brazil where (we were assured by many) the cosmic solution for all racial problems was for blacks to marry some one as light as possible so their children would be lighter than they were; and would in turn marry lighter until the dilution process had eliminated Africa as a recognizable identity.

They topped their south of the border adventures by traveling across the southern United States by bus at the height of the Civil Rights movement — and not once, but twice! They both seem to have had a guileless naiveté that may have helped to protect them from suffering any outrageous consequences of their actions. These adventures were witnessed by Greyhound passengers and the mysterious local policemen who appeared, seemingly, out of nowhere to silently accompany them as they waited in white waiting rooms (this was still the late Jim Crow era when there were separate facilities in the South for blacks and whites).

Maryanne Raphael writes eloquently of the inequality of those facilities personally experienced when she had traveled alone through the southern United States. By insisting on staying in the black sections her unusual positioning made it possible for her to go back and forth between the black and white Jim Crow facilities. When Maryanne and other women were in need of sanitary napkins; she was urged to go into the white facilities.

At this particular stop, the Blacks were forced to use two outhouses, one for men and one for women: and they were lined up around the corner. However, the Whites had a large waiting room with enough toilets for thirty women. They even had showers for 25 cents. And, of course, vending machines for Kotex, or Tampax, as the white women chose; and for toothpaste, deodorant, combs, perfume, etc.

For some, those physical aspects of American history may be a surprise and could be in danger of being lost to public cognizance.

But it would also be in Brazil where Maryanne had a nervous breakdown and was institutionalized for some weeks. Looking back they both admit it was the very beginning of the end of their marriage. But it would take years to jell. Lennox, having to be very careful with Maryanne and watch her and protect her from being institutionalized again, gladly took on that role as a young husband. But he had to admit, looking back, that that began to wear away the youthful blush of their young love. It was very interesting to get a retrospect point of view throughout a quite moving love story.

After her recovery in Brazil they traveled to meet his family in Trinidad and then on to Waverly, Ohio in southern Appalachia to meet her family. If the breakdown in Brazil was the beginning assault on their union it just may have been the interaction with her strictly catholic family that was the most difficult to bear.

There were childhood memories regarding African Americans that she had confided to Lennox early in their courtship that gives some indication of the state of that region and some of the conflicts that came from their visit.

She had told of “some of the terrible games that sought, unsuccessfully, to shape my life.” She had resisted those forces that “would make me a faceless, formless, conscienceless white American girl of catholic upbringing.”

When we went swimming, someone always shouted, ‘Last one in is a nigger baby!’ And we would scramble head over heels because nobody, even me, wanted to be a nigger baby.

We kids never made a choice without counting, ‘Eanie, Meany, Minny Moe, catch a nigger by the toe; if he hollers let him go … ’

We learned very early to spin our superstitions around Blacks, Whenever two kids started picking on one, the solitary one would say, ‘Two on one is a nigger’s fun.’

Whenever someone made an unpopular or uncalled for suggestion, he was told, ‘No remarks from the colored section,’ and we all would laugh ourselves to tears and wet pants.

The grownups, like my father and uncles and the teenagers around said, ‘I’m sweating like a nigger at election,’ or if someone took a drag of their cigarette and wet it, he was told, ‘Stop nigger-lipping my smoke.’

Ohio was an essential territory of the underground railroad for slaves seeking freedom, often from the southern border states of Kentucky and West Virginia. Some of the sayings that got into the lexicon dealt directly with the heritage of slavery and the social conditioning, especially during the formative years of white children. This was necessary to perpetrate “the peculiar institution,” and the subsequent institutionalization of racism. But there were other institutions that were also problematic.

They had given her parents the impression that Lennox was Catholic and that they had been married in the church. During their visit they confessed to her parents that they had had a non-Catholic wedding. But to Catholics and those from many other religions as well, to marry outside of the church is tantamount to not being married at all.

Maryanne’s parents were of that conviction.

The young interracial couple struggled through the two week visit, and then came to New York City, where they would begin to realize their goals as writers, and embrace a community that accepted them as they were. Brief mention is made if their involvement with the Umbra Workshop and with Lennox’s important work for the East Village Other, an influential weekly newspaper of the time.

One of his most memorable assignments was to cover Martin Luther King’s funeral. Their son was conceived during that time. Amusingly enough Maryanne became the first pregnant “Slum Goddess” in EVO. And as a result became a well paid model for medical magazines where she was photographed in her ninth month completely in the nude. It is too bad those photos are not in Garden of Hope.

But there are decent photos of the attractive young lovers in this surprisingly delightful and fulfilling book. Looking back, both have produced significant works and their impressive literary activities continue. Maryanne Rafael has intriguing books about Mother Theresa, among many others, and Lennox Raphael, who now resides in Copenhagen, continues to write poetry and plays, and work within artistic organizations. His ground-breaking play “Che,” is significant in theater history, especially in relationship to the City of New York in the 1960s.

Garden of Hope is certainly a successful collaborative autobiography and could be an inspirational model in many ways.

Perhaps it will encourage more couples to write the stories of their romance.
----
© David Henderson

Website © A.G.O.T.T. All Rights Reserved.

Author Reviews How-To Tome for Book Promoters

Talk Radio for Authors
By Fran Silverman
Nonfiction/How-to


Reviewed by Judith Woolcock Colombo


Francine Silverman’s Talk Radio for Authors is a fine example of what a “how to book” should be. It is well written and organized in such a way that the reader need not wade through every chapter to get the information he or she needs.

The talk radio shows, both internet and terrestrial, are grouped in sections according to their themes, including programs dealing with authors and their craft, to ones on antiques and collectables, or others serving health enthusiast, animal lovers, hikers, or technophiles. Each show, its theme, its objective, and the type of guests it courts was described clearly and precisely.

However, the section I found most enlightening was the one discussing the hosts’ opinions of the best and worst kind of guests. This section is a must for anyone who is about to be interviewed on a radio show. It could make the difference between selling yourself and your book or exposing yourself to the audience in an unfavorable light.

The appendixes that followed the main part of the book were almost as extensive and just as informative as the chapters that preceded them. The first was a concise list of radio show directories. The second listed authors who had appeared on radio shows and gave a brief description of their experiences and works. The third appendix contained the varied biographies of numerous radio hosts.

I also found the articles at the end of the book very useful, especially Laura Ramirez’s Let the Guest Beware and Alex Carroll’s Making Radio Interviews Really Pay.

This is a great reference book, and I will be referring to it often.
------
Judith Woolcock Colombo: Author of The Fablesinger, Night Crimes and The Gasman, and Amazon short.
Visit my web site at http://odin.prohosting.com/~night01 Or email
judithcolombo@hotmail.com for info & sample chapters.

Rogue Novel by Jo Beverley Anyone?

Lady Beware
By Jo Beverley
Historical romance
ISBN 978-0-451-22149-0
Signet, $ 7.99, PG-13
5 hearts

Reviewed by Mary Benn for the Romance Reader


Jo Beverley carries off a remarkable achievement in Lady Beware, the latest and
possibly last in her Company of Rogue novels. In a world where the loud, the
graphic and the sensational sell, she cultivates a silent and subtle build-up
but rocks her readers to their core. Her craft deserves close attention, but it
is the unusual combination of familial comfort and risqué pleasure that makes
this book a winner.

Horatio Cave, Lord Darien attended Eton at the same time as the Rogues, but he
was not admitted into their exulted company. His violent and scandalous family
history, which includes murder, madness and Italian opera singers, had already
branded him. His belligerent behavior didn't help. Even good-natured Dare (the
opium-addicted hero of To Rescue a Rogue) took issue and warned, "Cave Canem."
Well versed in Latin, the Eton schoolboys immediately recognized the pun (the
inscription cave canem, or "Beware the Dog", was carved on the doors of Roman
homes). The name stuck, and Cave has never forgiven Dare or the Rogues for it.


In the meantime, Cave has made a very different name for himself as a hero of
the Napoleonic wars. His bravery isn't enough to whitewash his family name. So
when Dare's honor in the battlefield is questioned, he sees it as an
opportunity to redeem himself. He coerces Dare's sister Thea Debenham into
accepting a bargain: if she acts as his betrothed, thereby gaining him the
social respect he craves, he will clear her brother's reputation.

It is easy to see what this set up could have become: a predictable story about
a false engagement that eventually becomes a real one. That is not the path
Thea and Cave take. He immediately does his part but allows Thea to withdraw
from hers. Her mother, on the other hand, is determined to pay off the family
debt . More naturally cautious, Thea remains wary of this dark, dangerous
stranger, but she is also intrigued — and secretly thrilled.

Beverley brings her characters to life by examining them in their social
universe. A former soldier, Cave is very much a man's man, and it is mostly
through his interaction with other men that we discover his loyalty and
decency. He deploys all the authority which goes with his rank, but never
abuses it: there is no condescension or false camaraderie in his concern for
his former soldiers. Similarly, Thea's unspoken anxieties and elegant poise are
seen most clearly in her family relationships and her female friendships.

Beverley ensures her characters are multifaceted and doesn't overlook the
erotic dimension of Thea and Cave's relationship. She pens several daring
encounters, but overall subtlety is the key to her art. In one scene, Cave
strokes Thea's gloved finger with his. There is more sensual tension in that
caress than in some of the most explicit descriptions I have recently read.

Throughout the novel, Beverley sets her own leisurely pace and draws her
enraptured readers towards a firework finale. Ominous hints maintain the
novel's tension and the reader's curiosity. The bad things come as no surprise
but still hold us at a fever pitch.

No doubt about it: Lady Beware is yet another jewel in Beverley's heavily-
decorated crown.

-----
Jo Beverley "Arguably today's most skillful writer of historical
romance..." Publishers Weekly
5 time winner of the prestigious RITA award.
"Romance at its best." Romantic Times.